Agilent ICP-MS Interactive Troubleshooting tool for Plasma ignition problem

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Rev. B 2017, January, 20

Preconditions

• 7900, 7800, 7700, 8800, or 8900 ICP-MS is used.• Sample introduction type is “PeriPump”. If you are using a special configuration such as

LC/GC integration or ISIS, setup the instrument with standard configuration.• You have the “Hardware Maintenance Manual” for your instrument. Some details of the

operations are not in this tool. You should refer to the manual.

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Legends

Notes or tips that help troubleshoot. You need to refer to another document for detail of the steps. Good example of situation. Bad example of situation.

Did the ion lens test pass? ←Questions are displayed in blue you need to click buttons such as or Based on your answer the tool will navigate you to next step.

Note Reference

Good Bad

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Yes No

1.1.1 Check Water flow and Gas flow errors

(1) Select MassHunter Instrument Control Window → Main menu → “View” → “Instrument Status” to display “Instrument Status” Pane

If Main menu is not displayed, press F10 key.

(2) Click the dropdown below and check the error number for errors that are generated at the date/time of the attempt to ignite plasma.

(3) Are error numbers 1440, 1445, or 1446 included in the latest errors?

Note

<Previous Yes No

1.2.1 Check water and argon gas

(1) If error 1440 has been generated, check if cooling water valve is open and chiller or heat exchanger is working correctly.

(2) If error 1445 or 1446 have been generated, check if argon gas valve is open and remaining amount is enough.

(3) Did this solve the problem？

Yes No

1.3.1 Check timing when Plasma goes out

(1) When did Plasma go out?

Not ignite at all

Several seconds after ignition

One to several minutes after ignition

When "Plasma Correction“ is going on

20 minutes or later after ignition

2.1.1 Check condition of argon gas line condition

(1) Are there any situations below? - Ar cylinder has been replaced recently - Was there any work on Ar line recently? - Is the instrument used after a long time ( > 1 month).

Yes No

2.2.1 Check condition of argon gas line

(1) Purge Ar line. (2) Do leak check on Ar line. (3) Check specification of Ar gas to have ≧99.99% purity (In case cylinder has been replaced). (4) Try alternative source of Ar gas (In case cylinder has been replaced and any alternatives are available) (5) Does this fix the problem?

Yes No

2.3.1 Isolate the torch and try to ignite

(1) Block end of the torch with plastic film and try to ignite. (2) Can it ignite?

Yes No

2.4.1 Check torch box

(1) Open the torch box and observe to check if there are situations below, following instruction from the next page. - Damaged torch - Damaged bonnet - Damaged shield plate - Damaged shield contact - Non Agilent torch - Dirty torch stand - Wrongly assembled torch

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2.4.2 Check torch box

(2) Check torch

Damaged torch or bonnet (No image) Bad

Non Agilent torch (No image) Bad

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2.4.3 Check torch box

(3)Check if shield plate is damaged.

Good shield plate. Damaged shield plate. Good Bad

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2.4.4 Check torch box

(4) Check if shield/torch is correctly assembled.

Set the projection on torch in the hole of the shield plate .

Good Set the projection on torch in the notch of the holder.

Good Good contact between shield plate and shield contact.

Good

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2.4.5 Check torch box

(5)Check shield contact.

Shield contact in good condition.

Good Damaged shield contact.

Bad

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2.4.6 Check torch box

(6) Check torch stand

Torch stand with clean contact

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Good

2.4.7 Check torch box

(7) Is there any failure of torch, shield plate, shield contact, and torch stand?

<Previous Yes No

2.5.1 Torch box issues cannot be fixed by customers

(1) Are there any situations below? - Damaged torch - Damaged shield contact

Yes No

2.6.1 Torch box issues can be fixed by customers

(1) Are there any situations below? - Damaged bonnet - Damaged shield plate - Non Agilent torch - Dirty torch stand - Wrongly assembled torch

Yes

2.7.1 Fix torch box issues

(1) Replace or maintain the parts. (2) Did this fix the problem?

Yes No

2.8.1 Check work coil shape

(1) Check work coil shape. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Torch area” → “RF Coil” (2) Any problem found?

Yes No

Reference

2.9.1 Fix work coil shape

(1) Fix work coil shape. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Torch area” → “RF Coil” (2) Did this fix the problem?

Yes No

Reference

2.10.1 Check cooling water

(1) Does the cooling water have any additive substance, such as antifreeze or antiseptic ?

Yes No

2.11.1 Check cooling water

(1) Replace water with pure water. (2) Did this fix the problem?

Yes No

3.1.1 Check photo sensor cable

(1) Open torch box and remove torch. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Torch area” → “Torch” → “Removal” (2) Are there any situation below?

- Cable for photo sensor is not correctly installed (not inserted into the hole on torch stand). - Cable for photo sensor is damaged.

Reference

Photo sensor cable installed not correctly.

Bad

Yes No

3.2.1 Check if photo sensor cable is damaged

(1) Is the Cable for photo sensor damaged?

Yes No

3.3.1 Check if photo sensor cable is damaged

(1) Insert the cable to the hole. (2) Did this fix the problem?

Photo sensor cable installed correctly.

Good

Yes No

4.1.1 Check IF/BK vacuum pressure errors

(1) Select MassHunter Instrument Control Window → Main menu → “View” → “Instrument Status” to display “Instrument Status” Pane

If Main menu is not displayed, press F10 key. (2) Click the dropdown below and check the error number for errors that are generated at the date/time of the attempt to ignite plasma. (3) Are error numbers 1118, or 1119 included in the latest errors?

Note

Yes No

4.2.1 Check sampling cone

(1) Check if sampling cone has a distorted or expanded orifice. (2) Any trouble found?

Distortions of cones are subtle. If it is not clear, regard it as “Yes”.

Note

Yes or not clear No

Sampling cone in good condition. Good

4.3.1 Change sampling cone

(1) Exchange sampling cone. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Interface” (2) Does this fix the problem?

Reference

Yes No

4.4.1 Check Analyzer vacuum pressure errors

(1) Select MassHunter Instrument Control Window → Main menu → “View” → “Instrument Status” to display “Instrument Status” Pane

If Main menu is not displayed, press F10 key. (2) Click the dropdown below and check the error number for errors that are generated at the date/time of the attempt to ignite plasma. (3) Are error numbers 1124, or 1129 included in the latest errors?

Note

Yes No

4.5.1 Check skimmer cone

(1) Check if skimmer cone has a distorted or expanded orifice. (2) Any trouble found?

Distortions of cones are subtle. If it is not clear, regard it as “Yes”.

Note

Yes or not clear No

Skimmer cone in good condition. Good

4.6.1 Change skimmer cone

(1) Exchange skimmer cone. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Interface”

(2) Does this fix the problem?

Reference

Yes No

4.7.1 Isolate the torch and try to ignite

(1) Block end of the torch with plastic film and try to ignite. (2) Can it ignite?

Yes No

4.8.1 Check usage of “User Tune”

(1) Is “User Tune” function in use?

Yes No

4.9.1 Check User Tune parameters

(1) Modify tune parameters in user tune like below. Sampling Depth 8㎜ Carrier Gas flow

MicroMist: 1.0L/min MicroFlow: 0.6L/min Make Up Gas flow

MicroMist: 0L/min MicroFlow: 0.3L/min

(2) Does this fix the problem?

Yes No

4.10.1 Re-adjust User Tune parameters

(1) Check if the new tune parameters give good sensitivity. If not, adjust tune parameters so that it gives enough sensitivity.

OK

5.1.1 Check dilution gas connection

(1) Check dilution gas connection

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Push dilution gas line into connector.

Confirm line is inserted into the bottom of connector.

Confirm nut has been tightened.

loose nut. Bad

5.2.1 Check dilution gas connection

(2) Did this fix the problem?

<Previous Yes No

With the other end of the connector, confirm connection in the same way

6.1.1 Check spray chamber

(1) Remove top cover of spray chamber chiller. (2) Is the spray chamber filled with liquid?

Spray chamber filled with liquid. Bad

Yes No

6.2.1 Drain spray chamber

(1) Pull out drain tube and drain liquid from the spray chamber

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6.2.2 Drain spray chamber

(2) Remove torch. Then clean it with pure water and dry it. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Torch area” → “Torch” → “Removal” (3)Attach the torch again. Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Torch area” → “Torch” → “Installation” (4)Check and fix drain tube Hardware Maintenance Manual →”Maintenance” →“Peristaltic Pump Area” → “Peristaltic Pump Tubing” → “Installation”

Reference

Reference

OK <Previous

Reference

6.3.1 Check Water flow and Gas flow errors

(1) Select MassHunter Instrument Control Window → Main menu → “View” → “Instrument Status” to display “Instrument Status” Pane

If Main menu is not displayed, press F10 key.

(2) Click the dropdown below and the check error number for errors that are generated at the date/time of the attempt to ignite plasma.

(3) Are error numbers 1440, 1445, or 1446 included in the latest errors?

Note

Yes No

6.4.1 Check water and argon gas

(1) If error 1440 has been generated, check if cooling water valve is open and chiller or heat exchanger is working correctly.

(2) If error 1445 or 1446 has been generated, check if argon gas valve is open and remaining amount is enough.

(3) Did this solve the problem？

Yes No

7.1.1 Air leak check

(1) Check carrier gas connection.

Push carrier gas line into connector.

Push carrier gas line into connector (In case of glass nebulizer).

Push connector toward nebulizer (In case of glass nebulizer).

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7.1.2 Air leak check

Check if ferrule is correctly installed (In case of PFA nebulizer).

loose nut. Tighten the nut, if it is loose. (In case of PFA nebulizer).

Bad

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7.1.3 Air leak check

(2) Check makeup gas connection.

Push makeup gas line into connector.

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Confirm line is inserted into the bottom of connector.

Confirm nut has been tightened.

loose nut. Bad

7.1.4 Air leak check

(3) Check loose nebulizer.

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loose nut. Bad Not inserted to the end. Bad Correctly installed nebulizer

Good

7.1.5 Air leak check

(4) Check loose spray chamber cap.

(5) Did this fix the problem?

Check that the cap is not loose.

<Previous Yes No

8.1.1 Check rotary pump

(1) Check and Maintain rotary pump. Hardware Maintenance manual →”Maintenance” → “Maintaining Other Parts” Reference

Yes No

9.1 End of procedure

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9.2 End of procedure

To solve the problem an engineer from Agilent is needed. Please contact Agilent using the link below.

http://www.agilent.com/en-us/contact-us/page

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